By Alan BaldwinReuters

Lando Norris, left, with Max Verstappen.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The only scary thing about Max Verstappen is his speed, according to McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Mercedes rival George Russell accused Red Bull’s four-time world champion of bullying and threatening behavior back-to-back that exploded in Qatar last weekend and reignited in Abu Dhabi.

Norris, Verstappen’s closest rival for the title this season, has had his own run-ins with the champion but dismissed any questions of fear.

“I don’t think people are afraid of Max,” he said.

“Are people afraid of what he’s probably capable of sometimes, speed-wise? Do you go into some sessions and say, ‘Damn, Max feels good this weekend, he’s got been good in training, is he going to be great?’ 100 percent.

“Like with football teams and any other sport.

“When people are in shape and performing well, you’re a little afraid of what someone can do from a performance standpoint. Nobody’s afraid. It just puts you on the limit .”

Norris, whose team is on the verge of winning the constructors’ title for the first time since 1998, said sometimes drivers fight with their hands tied.

Verstappen has led the championship all season while Norris has had to try to reduce the Red Bull driver’s advantage, knowing that any mistakes or failure to score would only help his opponent.

The Briton also had to take into account the battle of the manufacturers when Verstappen was really only fighting for himself.

“Sometimes people can’t risk giving Max the fight he needs. It’s the same for me this year,” he said.

“He had nothing to lose this season. I’ve always been in the position where I’m the one who loses. If no one scores points, it’s a Max win. That’s basically it. I always been in this vulnerable position.

“Hopefully next year we can start better and things will change from there.”

Norris felt the argument between Russell and Verstappen was genuine, with both defending each other.

Asked if he thought Verstappen was the kind of driver who would put a rival in the wall, as Russell claimed the champion had threatened him, Norris took a long pause then replied: “No.” .

“We’re passionate about what we do, so we put our all into it, as do many of our team members. You’re going to feel disappointed at times, you’re going to feel betrayed at times, you’re going to feel that people will welcome you,” he added.

“It’s nothing more than that, it’s just two drivers who want to win, that’s really the moral of the whole story.”

Norris said all of this would appear on Netflix Drive to survive series, and the suggested insults between Mercedes and Red Bull bosses Toto Wolff and Christian Horner were mostly for show.

“It’s all for Netflix,” he smiles.

“It’s obvious. They love Netflix, all the team leaders love Netflix.”

– Reuters